Frozen Fantasy: All-In or No Win

This trade deadline was filled with lots of early moves. It felt like fantasy. Deal early. Reap the rewards. And the risk. 

Case in point: Ryan O'Reilly.

I watched him yank his hand back in pain when he took an Auston Matthews' shot to the glove. He was seen with his second finger splinted after the game. 

It might be a precaution. Or it might be bad news. It might be like my trade for Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand, Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan Ellis (100, 94, 92 and 0 Yahoo!, respectively) early last year. Injuries hit and I missed the playoffs. But I'd do it all again. 

If you want to win, you need to go all-in. NHL general managers have made that clear this season and especially the ones in the Atlantic Division. 

I'm talking to you, Kyle Dubas. And Julien Brisebois. And Don Sweeney. 

The last few weeks have been the closest to fantasy management I've ever seen. Feels a little odd, but it sure is fun. 

There's a fantasy lesson to be taken from the Leafs, Bolts and Bruins. They've loaded up regardless of the outcome. At least one of those three teams will be out after the first round. Maybe two (never say never). All three could be done after the first two rounds. 

Or they could win the Cup. Sounds like fantasy to me. 

Fantasy trade deadlines are upon us. Consider channeling your inner Kyle or Julien or Don. It will be challenging and uncomfortable and thrilling, all at the same time. 

Isn't that what fantasy is all about?

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. 

Forward Offense

Ryan Hartman, RW/C, Minnesota (30 percent Yahoo!) – Hartman is back beside Kirill Kaprizov (100 percent Yahoo!) on the Wild's top line, and suddenly the sluggish scorer has seven points - including three goals - in his last eight games. He's also averaging one hit and blocked shot, and about three shots per game. Hartman is a trainwreck in the faceoff circle – he's 41-for-113 (36.3 percent) over that span. Roll him on the wing and those faceoff wins become gravy, not an anchor. 

Jared McCann, LW/C, Seattle (44 percent Yahoo!) – Last season, a lot of people thought McCann and his 27 goals were all sizzle with no steak. But this season, he's proving that wrong as is currently on a three-game goal (four) and five-game point streak (eight) heading into Sunday night. McCann's notched points in 10 of his last 11 (13), and that includes seven snipes. With 20 games left on the Kraken's ledger, he has a shot at 10 more goals and his first-ever 40 season. There are no guarantees, but McCann should be on a lot more rosters right now. 

T.J. Oshie, RW/C, Washington (32 percent Yahoo!) – Tom Wilson (44 percent Yahoo!) is back and getting all the attention. Good on him. But don't overlook Oshie, who is riding a five-game, eight-point scoring streak heading into Monday that includes five goals, three PPP and 13 shots. Yes, his footspeed is worse than ever. But Oshie still boasts hands and hockey sense. And a spot on PP1. I have had him stashed on a deep roster for just this kind of run. It's gold, especially at this time of the season. 

Muscle Categories

Liam O'Brien, LW/RW, Arizona (1 percent Yahoo!) – O'Brien was an absolute wrecking ball last Tuesday against the Hawks when he leveled 13 hits over 12:49 (18 shifts). In fact, he led the NHL last week with 26 hits and was tied for third with 14 PIM (four games). O'Brien's joy is infectious – I think it's the red beard and massive smile every time he hits the ice. He's living his NHL dream. That's jet fuel for your physical category needs. 

Blocked Shots

Marcus Pettersson, D, Pittsburgh (5 percent Yahoo!) – Pettersson is a no-nonsense puck mover who is going to give you around two hits and blocked shots every night. So when you add in his recent even-strength offense (one goal, four assists in five games), he's a decent blueline streaming option. Especially when the wire is so thin. And you aren't chasing elusive power-play production. 

Defense Scoring

Rasmus Sandin, D, Washington (16 percent Yahoo!) – Sandin is a good puck-moving defender with offensive upside and the ability to run a power play. He still struggles under pressure in his own zone, but that won't hurt you in fantasy unless it cuts his ice time. But that's not likely to happen in Washington. Sandin could thrive with the Caps in a way he was never going to get with the Leafs. Bu-bye playoff run as a 7/8 defender, and hello top-4. His three helpers Saturday are but a taste of his potential. 

Goalie

John Gibson, G, Anaheim (45 percent Yahoo!) – The goalie carousel this season has been hard on a lot of fantasy rosters. It seems like the systems around them are much looser than in the past. And that leaves them vulnerable. Facts are facts: Gibson is on a bad team. His D is sketchy and the goalie-of-the-future in Lukas Dostal (1 percent Yahoo!) is behind him. But despite that, he's won three of his last four starts and made 154 saves in the process (.945 save percentage). This may not last, but Gibson wil likely continue to see a lot of pucks with a young team around him. And at minimum, that means a lot of saves. For Gibson, that may mean a lot more. 

Hail Mary

William Eklund, LW, San Jose, San Jose (3 percent Yahoo!) – Eklund is a highly-regarded rookie who made his season debut Saturday. Coach David Quinn immediately plunked him on the top line and PP2, and the kid picked up a helper with the man-advantage. Unfortunately, Eklund also finished minus-3 in an 8-3 shellacking at the hands of the Caps. He's a risk-reward grab based on pedigree and opportunity, but not if his plus-minus matters to you. You may want to let someone else take on that risk. 

Andreas Johnsson, LW/RW, San Jose (0 percent Yahoo!) – Johnsson was averaging close to a point-per-game pace in the AHL when he was included in "the trade". Timo Meier (98 percent Yahoo!) will thrive in Jersey, and Johnsson could surprisingly do the same in San Jose. He's now on the second line with Logan Couture (46 percent Yahoo!) and has a modest two-game, two-assist streak on the go. Johnsson delivered 43 points in a similar situation during his rookie season in Toronto, so the next 20 games could get interesting.

Jakub Vrana, LW, St. Louis (17 percent Yahoo!) – I feel for Vrana. He courageously entered the player's assistance program in October only to be waived to the AHL when he returned. He and Wings' general manager Steve Yzerman just didn't mesh. Vrana's game has fantasy appeal – he's talented and could end up beside Robert Thomas (53 percent Yahoo!) and Pavel Buchnevich (85 percent Yahoo!) on the second line. Waiver claim Kasperi Kapanen (1 percent Yahoo!) isn't the answer there – Vrana offers more offensive upside with better hockey sense. Keep an eye. 

Back to all-in. 

Make that trade if you're close. Take a chance. You never know if one of your opponents will get hit with an injury. Like Auston Matthews did with a 95-mile-an-hour slapper off the inside of his knee on Saturday. Man, that looked painful. Luckily, he came back. 

But his loss would make a fantasy team vulnerable. You don't have a chance to overtake a team like that if you don't give it your all. It might not work. But it might. 

Honestly, I think you'll feel a whole lot better taking the chance than giving someone else control of your destiny. I know I do. 

Until next week.